VOLUME 35 MAR APR 2013 NUMBER 2 Two L.A. Icons Slated for Rehabilitation by Marcello Vavala In addition to Capitol Records (featured in the last issue), you might have seen two high-profile landmarks in the news recently. The new owners of the TCL Chinese The- atre (formerly Grauman’s Chinese Theatre), Donald Kushman and Eli Samaha, have an- nounced plans to convert the venue to a digital IMAX facility. The project would install the latest technology and re-rake the auditorium floor (altered twice previously) to accom- modate stadium-style seating—upgrades that will keep the world-famous landmark a viable single-screen theatre for first-run films. The 1927 theatre is a designated land- We’ll feature the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (left), Bonaventure Hotel (right), and other modern gems in our 2013 Curating the City initiative, part of Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in L.A. Photos by mark (HCM #55), and the owners have (left) Charles Neal, County of Los Angeles, courtesy of The Music Center; (right) Annie Laskey/L.A. Conservancy. retained a historic preservation consultant. Proposed changes must be reviewed and ap- Conservancy Curates the City for the Getty’s Pacific proved by the Office of Historic Resources. Work is also under way at the 1962 Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in L.A. Dodger Stadium, the third-oldest ballpark by Cindy Olnick and Sarah Weber in Major League Baseball. The owners have retained a preservation architect as part of Showcasing fifty years of modern architecture in Greater Los Angeles, the Conservancy the team overseeing upgrades to enhance will reprise our Curating the City series this spring and summer as part of the Getty initiative, comfort yet retain the stadium’s classic 1960s Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in L.A. design. For instance, plans include installing Funded by a grant from the Getty Foundation, Curating the City: Modern Architecture high-definition video boards in the left and in L.A. will combine architectural tours, panel discussions, a film screening, and a perma- right fields while bringing back the unique nent online resource to highlight L.A. County’s modern architectural heritage and the need hexagonal shape of both scoreboards. The to preserve it. The program will span from 1940 to 1990, venturing into the relatively new work also includes widening concourses, add- preservation territory of the 1970s and ’80s. ing more wheelchair seating, and expanding Though we have worked to preserve significant modern architecture for most of our thirty- and renovating restrooms. five-year history—our volunteer Modern Committee was formed in 1984—the Getty initia- For more information about these and tive presents a special opportunity. “We’ve never had the chance to step back and take such a other issues, please visit laconservancy.org. broad view of L.A. modernism over five decades,” says Linda Dishman, the Conservancy’s executive director. “What happened here in terms of architectural experimentation, technical innovation, suburban development, and master planning had an immeasurable impact not only in Southern California, but across the nation and the globe.” I N S I D E Curating the City: Modern Architecture in L.A. will treat Greater Los Angeles as a liv- Conservancy News 2 ing museum, using public programming to interpret the story of L.A. modernism in different Preservation Issue Spotlight 3 ways. Launched in 2005 with Curating the City: Wilshire Boulevard (curatingthecity.org), this Membership 4, 7 Please see CURATING THE CITY on page 6 Last Remaining Seats 5 COnsERVancY NEws Conservancy Mixer April 10 at Silver Lake’s Café Stella Los Angeles Conservancy 523 W. Sixth Street, Suite 826 Join staff and friends of the Conservancy for a casual mixer the evening of Wednesday, Los Angeles, California 90014 April 10 at Café Stella, 3932 West Sunset Boulevard, in Silver Lake. Members and non- (213) 623-2489 Fax: (213) 623-3909 members alike are welcome. Stop by on your way home from the office, grab a drink, and laconservancy.org make some new friends. Admission is only $10 and includes appetizers and one cocktail, The Los Angeles Conservancy is a nonprofit mem- thanks to our gracious hosts. All proceeds directly benefit the Conservancy. bership organization that works through education Space is limited, so advance reservations are required. You can reserve online at and advocacy to recognize, preserve, and revitalize the historic architectural and cultural resources of laconservancy.org. We hope to see you there! Los Angeles County. Stay Connected! Coming Soon: New Website, Fresh Look laconservancy.org facebook.com/losangelesconservancy The Conservancy turns thirty-five this year, and we have big plans in store as part twitter.com/laconservancy of the celebration. One of the most exciting is a new website launching around June 1 at laconservancy.org. While our current website has served us very well for more than a Board of Directors Stephanie Kingsnorth, AIA, LEED AP; President decade, the new site will provide the rich content you’ve come to expect in a way that’s Rita Morales Patton, VP Advocacy easier to use. Mobile-friendly design, innovative mapping, and other tools will help you Clare De Briere, VP Membership/Development explore historic places and, when needed, take action to help save them. Many thanks to Barbara Flammang, AIA; VP Education/ Community Relations the more than 1,300 people who completed our website user survey last summer. Your Hernan Hernandez, VP Finance/Administration feedback has directly informed the planning for the website and will continue to help Mitchell E. Abbott; Steven D. Archer; guide our efforts as we move forward. Linda Bruckheimer; James Camp; Robert K. Foster; Elizabeth Edwards Harris, PhD; We are also updating the Conservancy logo based on extensive research and input Dexter Henderson; Diane Keaton; Michael LaFetra; over the past year, including a pro bono project with the brand strategy firm Added Value. Andrew Meieran; Karen Miller; Eric B. Moore; Though fresher in appearance, the logo will continue to convey the Conservancy’s devotion Cedd Moses; Wesley Phoa, PhD; Susan Strauss; to the historic architecture of Greater Los Angeles. It will also form the basis for a graphic Donald Weggeman identity system to make our communications visually cohesive, yet flexible enough to Advisory Council Charmaine Atherton; Margaret Bach; express the distinct flavor of our many different programs. You’ll see the new identity Sally S. Beaudette; Bruce Corwin; Tim Disney; emerge over the next year, and we welcome your feedback. George A. V. Dunning; Amy Forbes; Douglas J. Gardner; Albert Greenstein; Curtis Hanson; Greg Harless; Robert S. Harris, FAIA; Mary Kay Hight; Huell Howser (1945-2013) Dr. Thomas S. Hines; Kathryn Welch Howe; Huell Howser; Brenda Levin, FAIA; Ronald S. Lushing; Huell Howser, host of public television programs Robert F. Maguire III; Christy McAvoy; including Visiting with Huell Howser and California’s Thomas R. Miller; Mimi Perloff; Frank Romero; Jack Rubens; Alan Sieroty; Alison Silver; Joel Wachs; Gold, passed away in January. Described by Conservancy John H. Welborne; Roland A. Wiley, AIA; Executive Director Linda Dishman as “the first social Ken Williams; Dr. Robert W. Winter media,” Howser brought a new level of awareness and Lifetime Cornerstone accessibility to exploring historic places. “He had stories George A. V. Dunning Leonard Hill that weren’t about the brick and mortar, but the people Stephen and Christy McAvoy and lives they touched,” she said at a public celebration of John H. and Martha L. Welborne Howser’s life. “Each story about a place was like a brick Staff that helped build support for the preservation movement Conservancy archives Linda Dishman, Executive Director in Los Angeles.” Mitch Bassion, Director of Development Flora Chou, Preservation Advocate Lauren Everett, Administrative Assistant Shannon Ryan Leaves Conservancy Staff Adrian Scott Fine, Director of Advocacy Adrienne Kisson, Development Manager In February, Shannon Ryan left the Conservancy staff to pursue her career in urban Annie Laskey, Program Manager planning. She has taken a position with the City of Los Angeles, as a planning assistant in Cindy Olnick, Director of Communications Willow Pappageorge, Director of Administration the Office of Historic Resources’ Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) unit. She Bruce Scottow, Educational Outreach Coordinator has worked toward this goal for several years, so while we miss Shannon, we are thrilled Mickie Torres-Gil, Membership Assistant for her. We greatly appreciate Shannon’s contributions on staff as both membership as- Marcello Vavala, Preservation Associate Sarah Weber, Director of Education sistant and communications coordinator, as well as her ongoing support as a Conservancy member. We look forward to working with her in a new capacity. As we often say, no one Conservancy News is published bi-monthly. ever truly leaves the Conservancy! 2 los angeles conservancy news ISSUE SPOTLIGHT Finding the Win-Win for Wyvernwood by Adrian Scott Fine The Conservancy often hears arguments to Denver-based AIMCO, the nation’s largest that older buildings cannot be rehabilitated, apartment holding company, and the 2005 that outdated features and lack of modern election of Councilmember Bill Rosendahl. conveniences can be addressed only through After much negotiation by the Lincoln Place demolition. Yet more often than not, these Tenants Association, a plan for preservation claims are not fully backed by solid analysis finally emerged. AIMCO nominated Lincoln or a thoughtful process of exploring a range Place for Historic-Cultural Monument desig- of alternatives to find a win-win solution. nation and pursued two incentive programs Chase Knolls in Sherman Oaks, now being rehabilitated. for rehabilitation: the Mills Act and the Fed- A perfect example is the current effort Photo by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. Conservancy. to preserve Wyvernwood in Boyle Heights. eral Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit.